1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method to enable investigators to quickly and reliably determine whether a plurality of signatures were all made with the same ballpoint pen and/or at the same time. The present invention is particularly applicable to investigations that are intended to combat medical or insurance fraud.
2. Background Art
Multiple signing is the act of signing one's name many times during one office visit. This act may constitute a fraud if it was otherwise intended that the signatures should have been made at different times. By way of example, a patient who is supposed to undergo treatment requiring different office visits over a period of time may actually make only a single visit and execute a series of medical documents as if a number of visits were made. The patient or doctor may then submit claims to an insurance company seeking reimbursement for a program of treatment that was never offered or completed. Of late, this problem has become widespread with the resulting significant cost being borne by insurance companies, government agencies and consumers, alike.
Combating such fraudulent activities is difficult, because the signatures that are applied to the different documents are genuine. That is to say, even if the signatures are closely examined, there is normally no tell-tale sign which is indicative of the dates on which the documents were executed and the pen or pens used to make the signatures. Therefore, there is no quick and reliable way to determine whether the patient signed the documents at the same or different times.